The White House says U.S. counterterrorism operations killed American and Italian hostages held by al-Qaida, as well as two Americans who were working with the terror organization.

It says the U.S. recently concluded that American Warren Weinstein and Italian national Giovanni Lo Porto, hostages held by al Qaida, were killed in a January operation in a border region of Afghanistan and Pakistan.

The White House says it also believes two other Americans were recently killed in a counterterrorism operation in the same region.

The White House believes that Ahmed Farouq, an American who was an al-Qaida leader, was killed in the same January operation that resulted in the hostages' deaths. And it has also concluded that American Adam Gadahn was likely killed in a separate U.S. mission